- Communication expert Tajudeen Suleiman reviewed the NUPRC 2025 Oil and Gas Licensing Round and praised the process for its openness and regulatory compliance
- The licensing round drew nearly 300 expressions of interest, with 143 firms submitting 200 bids across 37 oil and gas assets
- Industry executives from TotalEnergies and SLB also weighed in on the conduct of the bidding exercise
A communication expert has praised the Nigerian National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for running what he called a transparent and credible 2025 Oil and Gas Licensing Round, saying the process successfully cleared a critical accountability test.
Tajudeen Suleiman, writing in an article reviewing the exercise, said the Commission demonstrated a genuine commitment to openness through its adherence to established guidelines, use of a computer-based bid evaluation system and its decision to hold the Commercial Bid Conference in public.
How the licensing round was conducted
The process began after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the exercise. NUPRC formally launched the bid round in London on November 11, 2025, and opened its registration portal on December 1. The Commission published statutory notices in both national and international newspapers in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines.
According to Suleiman, NUPRC Chief Executive Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan embedded transparency into each stage through clearly defined eligibility requirements, technical and commercial evaluation criteria, pre-bid conferences, webinars and dedicated enquiry channels.
The round attracted close to 300 expressions of interest. Of those, 196 companies reached the prequalification stage, and 143 firms went on to submit 200 technical and commercial bids covering 37 assets. The exercise concluded on July 21, 2026, with 31 companies emerging as winners of 37 oil and gas blocks.
Commercial bids assessed on weighted scoring system
The Commercial Bid Conference ran for eight hours and 34 minutes before more than 600 participants, including bidders, observers, industry stakeholders and journalists, with proceedings broadcast live. Bidders received technical support, standby laptops and power banks throughout the session.
Commercial bids were scored on signature bonus, work programme commitment and work programme performance security, using a weighted aggregate system rather than awarding blocks to the highest immediate payment. A tie-break mechanism requiring additional signature bonus submissions was also introduced, and consortium discussions were prohibited during the commercial bid stage to protect the integrity of results. Bids were decrypted electronically and validated against approved templates, with scores displayed in real time.
Representatives of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources monitored the process, providing independent oversight as required under the PIA.
Industry executives back the process
Several senior industry figures offered positive assessments of the exercise. TotalEnergies Nigeria Executive Director Abiodun Afolabi described it as “a very transparent and open process” and a significant improvement on previous licensing rounds. SLB Country Manager Dr. Nosa Omorodion said the exercise reinforced investor confidence through its openness, while AYA Shafa Managing Director Abba Abdu Misau called the bidding process “excellent” and an improvement over earlier rounds.
Suleiman concluded that the 2025 Licensing Round showed that transparent procedures, regulatory compliance and independent oversight can strengthen investor confidence and raise the credibility of Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
Source: Legit.ng